Returning Home 01

"Who is the 'it' that woman was talking about?" Fang Zhiyi asked as they traveled through the transit channel.

Little Hei replied in a muffled voice, "It's the one we offended before..."

"Stop, stop, stop. It was you. You offended it."

"Is there a difference?"

"I guess not..."

Little Hei continued, "The people I selected seem to have had some friction with it too... It looks like it's specifically hunting for us."

Its speed slowed down, as if it was pondering a problem.

Inadvertently, Fang Zhiyi noticed a massive dark shadow abruptly appear within the transit channel, crashing straight toward Little Hei.

"Hey!" Just as Fang Zhiyi shouted, his vision blurred.

Little Hei was clearly caught off guard as well. Once it reacted, its body immediately manifested several tentacles, smashing toward the black monster that attacked them. However, the opponent seemed very familiar with Little Hei's attack patterns and similarly manifested several tentacles to block.

The collision of the two behemoths made Fang Zhiyi feel as though his very soul was about to shatter. Suddenly, Little Hei wrapped around him and dashed toward a channel exit.

When he opened his eyes again, Fang Zhiyi hurriedly sat up and checked his body.

"Holy crap, what was that thing!"

Little Hei was currently mimicking Fang Zhiyi, stroking its chin. "Do you even have to ask? It was definitely that thing..."

Fang Zhiyi looked at its contemplative expression and laughed. "But speaking of which, the two of you must come from the same origin. Neither of you could break the other's moves."

Surprisingly, Little Hei didn't play along with the joke. Instead, it shook its head and said, "It is much stronger than I imagined... If I hadn't fled just now... we might have been finished."

"It's rare to see a time when you aren't being stubborn."

Little Hei didn't speak further, but instead transmitted the plot of this world to Fang Zhiyi.

The Original Host was a low-level disciple of a cultivation sect. With mediocre aptitude and an honest nature, he was frequently bullied by many disciples of the Thousand Spirits Sect. Yet, he never complained and simply did his daily chores.

During an unexpected incident, the Original Host was swept into a conflict between inner sect disciples and demonic cultivators. Through a twist of fate, he obtained a ten-thousand-year-old spirit herb. Relying on this spirit herb, the Original Host's cultivation level surged significantly.

However, in the eyes of several of the sect's prodigies, his fortuitous encounter was seen as stealing what rightfully belonged to them. Because of this, they insinuated that the Original Host had stolen the spirit herb while they were clashing with the demonic cultivators. The Original Host's reputation was completely ruined, and some even suspected him of colluding with the demonic cultivators.

The Original Host had no way to defend himself, as he was naturally clumsy with words. But an opportunity to prove his innocence soon arrived. The Demon Venerable Ning Xiaoyao erupted into conflict with the Thousand Spirits Sect after a failed courtship. Since ancient times, fighting against demonic cultivators had been the duty of the righteous path.

After the outbreak of this war between good and evil, Fang Zhiyi threw himself to the absolute front lines without hesitation to prove that he wasn't the "traitor" others claimed him to be. Unfortunately, his abilities were woefully inadequate. When the mighty experts clashed, a minor character like Fang Zhiyi was simply sent spinning by the powerful shockwaves.

Fortunately, a senior sister suggested a plan: they could launch an attack on the demonic cultivators' headquarters through a secret passage. Fang Zhiyi readily agreed. Taking advantage of the fact that a large number of demonic cultivators were engaged with the righteous path, their small group stealthily infiltrated through that secret passage. The disciples were entirely consumed by their desire to achieve merit, giving absolutely no thought to their own actual strength.

They underestimated Ning Xiaoyao's meticulousness. Halfway through their infiltration, an ambush by demonic cultivators caught them completely off guard. Fang Zhiyi, desperate to prove himself, stepped forward without hesitation to block the demonic cultivators' advance, buying time for his senior brothers and sisters to escape.

Seeing that they had all fled, Fang Zhiyi also wanted to retreat. He knew exactly what his own capabilities were.

However, shortly after he followed them, the demonic cultivators caught up from behind. Then, something Fang Zhiyi never expected happened: his senior sister suddenly struck out and broke his leg.

"You're useless anyway, so help us delay them a bit longer!"

No one looked back at him.

Fang Zhiyi became a captive of the demonic cultivators. They didn't kill him; instead, they imprisoned him within a specially constructed spirit-trapping array, torturing him with all sorts of cruel methods. The demonic cultivators naturally knew that a lowly grunt like Fang Zhiyi held no value; torturing him was purely for their own amusement.

Fang Zhiyi's mind teetered on the brink of collapse.

He thought he would either go mad or die, but fate seemed to show him mercy. Just as he was nearing the breaking point, massive explosions echoed from outside.

The second battle between good and evil had begun. It appeared the righteous path had gained the upper hand, actually pushing all the way into the demonic cultivators' heartland.

Seizing this opportunity, Fang Zhiyi escaped from his accidentally destroyed prison. Stumbling and enduring countless hardships, he made his way back in the direction of his sect.

Yet, he never imagined that after struggling so hard to escape and return, he would be apprehended by the law enforcement disciples. They interrogated him, demanding to know why he had betrayed the sect and joined the demonic path. Fang Zhiyi listened in utter bewilderment.

"Stop pretending! Senior Sister Sun and Senior Sister Gao, who went with you, have already told us everything. You deliberately lured the demonic cultivators to try and capture them alive. It's a good thing they were sharp enough to escape!"

Fang Zhiyi had no way to clear his name. After enduring severe torture, he was thrown into his own sect's dungeon.

He wanted to cry but had no tears left.

No one came to see him. The Thousand Spirits Sect wanted him to rot away on his own.

That was until Eldest Senior Sister Xu Ruolin appeared. Not only did she bring Fang Zhiyi secret medicine to heal his wounds, but she also spoke to him gently. Little did he know, this was just another deception.

One night, Xu Ruolin rescued him and took the risk of sneaking him out of the Thousand Spirits Sect. From that moment on, Fang Zhiyi became utterly devoted to this Eldest Senior Sister. Whatever Xu Ruolin asked him to do, he did without the slightest hesitation.

The Eldest Senior Sister treated him very well. She not only gave him various precious secret medicines to nourish his spirit root but even taught him secret manuals that only inner disciples were allowed to learn. Whenever she discovered a secret realm, she would take him there immediately.

Fang Zhiyi didn't know why she treated him so well, but his heart was filled with gratitude.

When Xu Ruolin asked him to accompany her to save someone, Fang Zhiyi did not hesitate. However, after breaking through numerous restrictions and finally reaching that frigid place, there wasn't a single person in sight.

There was only a sword thrust into the ground.

Fang Zhiyi recognized that sword. It was the sword of the Demon Venerable, Ning Xiaoyao.

Xu Ruolin urgently urged him to pull out the sword. After a brief moment of hesitation, Fang Zhiyi complied.

Under Xu Ruolin's urging, he walked to the center of the array and grasped the sword planted in the middle.

At that exact moment, he felt something surge out from the sword. Then, an indescribable agony nearly tore his soul apart. It was another soul forcing its way into his body!

"Yes, this is it! This is it! This body is exactly what I wanted!" The sudden, maniacal laughter almost pierced Fang Zhiyi's eardrums. He looked in terror at Xu Ruolin outside the array, only to see her eyes brimming with love.

That was the last sight he ever saw.